


Laser Tag

by KeJae



Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-15 22:25:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18082073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeJae/pseuds/KeJae
Summary: When Organized Crime and Missing Persons win a bet, White Collaris drawn into a challenge for dominance.  Working together, can the team wintwo games of laser tag to take the trophy?





	1. Missing Persons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Quinis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quinis/gifts).



*******

"I can't believe we lost the bet." Jones lamented for the umpteenth time as he shuffled the papers in front of his seat into order. His competitive spirit didn't like the underhanded feeling to how Organized Crimes and Missing Persons had gotten them to agree to an arrangement where the other teams were withholding information causing them to lose.

"It's a bet, Jones. We only have to take them on in two rounds of this laser tag." Hughes grumbled as he settled into his seat at the head of the conference room table. The task force had been a long operation and everyone was tired from the effort they'd exerted to ensure everything ended smoothly.

"True, but it galls to feel coerced into a challenge. I'm certain we'll win, but I don't like how they didn't reveal their source until after we'd agreed." Diana agreed with Jones as she curled into her seat. She was as tired as the rest of them and just wanted to sleep.

Yawning, Peter didn't have much to add to it as he tried to work on the form in front of him. "I was in the field, so I've only heard about this after the fact, but I'm with Jones and Diana. This feels like they're trying to make it a competition, a way to make themselves feel superior since it was our team who handled the heavy lifting in the field for this operation."

"Don't forget, it was us who solved the stolen prayer book case and related murder and us who found the missing girl on the first cases I was around for with their teams. They seemed to be looking for a win to me too." Neal added from where his head was laid against the back of his chair while his feet were up on the table. He looked like he was ready to take a nap.

Chuckling softly, Hughes had to admit their logic. "Well, they did propose a trophy as the prize for the winning team. If they beat us, they plan to compete to see which team ultimately gets it."

"I vote to put it in Hughes office, as a team achievement he can brag about, or maybe Peter's? He likes his crossword puzzle trophies, corrected me when I missed one." Neal added after a yawn of his own.

"The competition is to be the five of us against five of each of their teams on two separate weekends. There is a laser tag arena in an extreme sports facility not too far from here. It would be fairly easily accessible for all of us." Diana noted as she typed on a computer.

"We've got a week to complete the paperwork from this case and get some rest. However, we aren't supposed to practice as this is about the skills we've already got. I think it's a good thing we're going up against Missing Persons first. They haven't worked with us much, but we've crossed over with Organized Crimes more than once in the money laundering cases." Jones added as he finished stacking the papers. He was too tired to try and tackle filling in all of the data. It would wait until morning once he'd had a few hours of sleep to run on.

"Run the facility past the other teams in the morning, Diana make sure we've got a set location and times. I don't want to be accused of forfeit due to misinformation or confusion. Competition doesn't belong in the field, but we've been challenged outside of the field, so we're going to do our best." Hughes added to the conversation before smiling at their surprised expressions. "Don't think I can't be competitive." Then he dismissed them with a wave as he got up. "I'm going to head home and get some sleep. The paperwork can wait until morning. I suggest the rest of you do the same."

Giving up on his form, Peter slapped Neal's feet off of the table jerking him awake. "Let's go, I'll drop you off at Junes on my way."

"See you in the morning." Neal rubbed his eyes to help himself wake up before getting up to walk out with Peter while the other agents closed down their areas of the table to follow shortly after.

*******

Standing in the lobby of the sports facility, Neal's black attire helped him to blend in with the wall he was leaning against. He'd arrived particularly early to begin scoping out the facility and ensure he was as prepared as possible for the coming game. Sure, it was just a challenge off of the field to settle some internal competition, but it was still a challenge and he wasn't going to allow the other teams any further unfair advantage.

The rules of the challenge were clear. They weren't to practice in advance, everyone was to dress normally, and they were going to play two extended games utilizing the facility's game rules for the arena. There was no mention of anything to prohibit arriving early to scope out the map of the arena and strategize, so that is precisely what Neal had done. With several key hiding spots in mind and a familiarity with the layout, he was ready to go and simply had to wait for the rest of the competitors to arrive.

Hughes was next to arrive with the same idea in mind. He stood with his hands behind his back while he memorized the general layout of the arena floor map. Being an old-school veteran, he wasn't going to risk his team for lack of awareness, and as Neal had noted, there was nothing in the rules against it. When he finished and moved away to get a drink while waiting for the others, Neal was able to keep easy tabs on him due to his white hair and matching generic white t-shirt.

Peter was the third to arrive and he also checked over the map in preparation for the coming challenge. He was a protégé of Hughes and he'd been taught to always prepare as much as possible. It appeared that Elizabeth had directed him in his wardrobe. The agent wasn't much more familiar with laser tag than Hughes was, but he'd at least worn a less conspicuous gray shirt sporting his favorite college along with his jeans.

It wasn't as easy to track Peter through the crowd until he joined up with Hughes, then they were both easy to keep track of as Hughes' shirt stood out under the black lights.

Jones and Diana arrived at the same time not too long after Peter, but they didn't spend as much time studying the map as the previous agents had. Their attire was also something in between Peter's and Hughes'. Diana wore a shirt with a saying on it that popped in the lights while Jones had a shirt that wasn't bureau issue but it said FBI with something underneath. This made them both easier and harder to see as they popped in the lights but blended into the crowds more easily as they moved to find the rest of the team.

With everyone else assembled, Neal moved from his position in the shadows smirking to himself that the team had walked right past him. Approaching the table everyone had gathered at, he moved to stand behind Peter as the agent checked his tracking data.

"He's here, and has been for a while according to this when I move backward through the timeline." Peter had his phone out and was toying with the tracking app trying to gauge where Neal was.

"What's he been doing for so long?" Diana asked from where she sat across the table.

"I've been watching you all as you walked right past me," Neal spoke up causing Peter to jump slightly and close the app.

"Yep, he was right behind me," Peter muttered while pulling the chair beside him out. "Sit down, Neal."

Taking the proffered seat, Neal took his place and caught up on the plan the others had come up with while he'd observed from across the room.

Diana used a mixture of their drinks and the napkin holder on the table to organize the plan for Neal and to provide visual for the rest of them. "So, Peter is to take point leading us across the room, Hughes is second point watching his back, then Jones wings him while I wing Peter. Neal, you're to remain behind as support and to guard the base just in case someone gets past us. This way we're covering offensive and defensive positions."

Grabbing the napkin holder and removing his position from the table, Neal tried to prevent Rice from seeing where he was going to be as he sensed her approach.

"What, you don't trust me to know your role in the coming game? Agent Rice asked Neal from behind him.

"There aren't any ransoms with my name on them are there?" Neal hinted to why he didn't trust her as he turned to observe her green shirt and bright red hair in the lighting.

"Neal." Hughes indicated for him to be silent while Rice flippantly said she had apologized before moving on to asking if they'd checked in yet.

"No, we were waiting for everyone to arrive before we checked in," Peter stated while gesturing for everyone to move for the desk and get checked in. This way they could get set up and start towards their turn in the arena.

Following, Rice introduced the agents that had been chosen from her team as they checked in. Hector Matar was shorter than most of his fellow agents with black hair and a darker skin tone which combined with his charcoal shirt made him harder to spot in the dark. The next agent to sign in was James Mcree. He was more average in height with medium hair and a paler complexion which helped make him more visible like his red shirt. Jocelyn Mosholder followed and was a lithe figured bleach blonde wearing a tight blue tank top that showed off her physique. Bringing up the rear, Kaleb Ramnarase had a dark green Henley on that stretched across his broad chest while Neal had to look up in order to see his shaved head and dark eyes. Clearly, Rice had chosen the agents she thought would have the best speed, strength, and general field skills to defeat the White Collar team.

Following suit, the White Collar team signed in and introduced themselves to ensure everyone knew who was who.

Then everyone took their game cards over to a row of computers where they filled out files with their information, got their picture taken, and chose code names for the game.

Choosing an old nickname from another life, Neal chose to place himself as Nemesis. No one in the FBI knew anything of his history or where the name came from so it was likely to bring up questions, but he felt it suited so it was worth the risk.

With that done, they had a few moments for any last preparations before the associate called them in for their turn in the arena.

*******

When it was just about time for their game to start, the associate called their group to follow her into the first room. There, she started the instruction and informational video for them to watch while she slipped into the next room to end the running game clearing the arena.

Standing around with the rest of them, Peter watched as various people demonstrated each rule. Like the others, he took note of the general details.

There was to be no running, no physical contact, no climbing, and no crouching or lying down. They were advised to be careful maneuvering around in the dimly lit environment and to notify the staff if any of them had a preexisting condition that could be triggered by the arena. Then the video went into the general workings of the equipment.

Each player would be wearing a vest with sensors on their chest, shoulders, back, and lasers while the lasers would only work if they retained two hands on the grips. One hand supported the weapon and could also switch on the rapid-fire while the other controlled the general trigger. To score, a player would shoot their laser at an opposing player's sensor and pull the trigger with one hit being one point. When hit, their gun would sound and shut down with their sensors for three seconds providing time for them to evade their opponent before sounding back on for them to rejoin the game. Their game was going to be an hour long with team focus so they could gain points for shots made while losing points for hits taken either to their personal sensors or to the team base.

With the end of the video, the associate returned to guide them into the next room where two rows of vests and laser guns hung from charging stations.

Checking the screen, Peter skimmed over the names looking for his code name, archeologist, before finding his assigned vest number. His vest was blue to match the rest of his team while Missing Persons were all putting on vests with red sensor lights. Cinching or loosening the straps as needed, he made the necessary adjustments to make the vest fit and then picked up his laser shifting it into position.

Once everyone was ready, the associate opened the door and allowed them to enter the arena with instructions that everyone had to collect at their appropriate base before the game would begin.

Mimicking many of the other agents, Peter paused just inside the entrance for a moment to allow himself to adjust. The atmosphere was dimly lit with black lights highlighting the neon accents on the obstacles and all through the carpet. It smelled a little musty and seemed to have dust floating through the air highlighted by the lighting system.

After a moment for his eyes to adjust, Peter moved to wind his way through the obstacles for the central area on the opposite side to where the red vests were going. Finding the blue base, he stood loosely waiting for the rest of his team to catch up so that the game could start.

Coming up behind him, Diana questioned Neal's choice in a code name, "Nemesis?"

Intrigued, Peter wondered what Neal's answer would be.

"It's a name from another life and a nickname from someone a long time ago. Care to explain yours, Foxy?" Neal answered and turned the teasing right back on her while he was aiming his gun at the wall and shifting his position like he was testing something.

"Devious and smart," Peter could hear the grin in her voice right before the music blared to block further conversation and the countdown clock began.

It was time to focus on the game.

Reaching the end of ten, Peter led the offensive by heading out into the obstacles first. Although he didn't hear them over the noise, he knew Hughes was to his side while Jones and Diana were winging them per their plan. Neal, he hopefully obeyed orders and remained to protect the base, but it was difficult to tell if Neal would do as he was told or not.

Unable to question, Peter put his focus into dodging through the obstacles. He kept his eyes and ears open, but the noise helped to cover the sounds of movement while the dim lights helped hide people if they peaked around an obstacle for a look.

Walking into a trap, Peter didn't see the lit up sensors of the opposing teams' guns until they were coming out from multiple angles to take the shots. They were in front of him and to both sides so he was quickly hit and forced to retreat while his sensors were off.

Using his three seconds, Peter waived the others back to prevent them from being shot as well and to allow them a chance to regroup and form a counter plan. Rice got the first hit, but they would get the last.

Signaling from his position, Hughes directed Jones and Diana to approach from one flank while he and Peter would take the other. He used his experience to break the trap and force Rice's team to pull back their outer agents and reform their approach.

Nodding and leading the way, Peter understood the strategy and knew Hughes would have his back.

Weaving through the obstacles for the wall to surprise attack, Peter could hear the sounds of sensors being hit and shutting down so he figured the others had found their targets and the strategy was working.

Then as he continued to search for an opponent, Peter realized that the sounds were coming from the middle of the room, where they hadn't been engaging the other team.

Moving out with Hughes, he wondered if they could back Jones and Diana up to squeeze Rice's agents back towards their base.

Reaching the middle, they met the other two and saw some of their opponents retreating back into obstacles on the other side of the room. Assuming their strategy was working, they banded together and progressed into enemy territory.

Weaving through the obstacles, Peter reached the red base and waved his hands for the team to form a circle of protection while Diana began shooting the base as quickly as she could to rack up points for their team.

Hearing her sensors shut down after she was hit, Peter knew someone needed to take over, but Jones quickly leaped into position and took over shooting the base from another angle while Peter and Hughes engaged their attackers trying to keep them at bay.

Noticing that there weren't a large number of attackers, it dawned on Peter just as their base alarm went off that the other team had also split up for offensive and defensive maneuvers. Pausing for a moment, he listened to the alarm wondering if Neal would be able to handle the situation or not. Then the sound stopped so he knew Neal had taken care of whoever was attacking him on the other side of the room.

Then the buzzer sounded and the round was done marking the first quarter of the overall game.

*******

Turning to walk across the room, Hughes was in the position to lead their procession back to base for a brief reprieve before round two would begin.

Along the way, they listened to the scores and in passing some of the red team, Missing Persons promised to do better next time rectifying their loss.

Arriving at the base, they found Neal coolly standing by and observing the rankings in their screen.

"You're the top score for both teams?" Jones questioned Neal as Nemesis ranked the highest points for shots accumulated. Not even Diana or Jones who had fired on the enemy base could quite keep up with him.

"I guess they tried really hard to get our base," Neal smirked while not sharing how he'd racked up the shots.

Unable to question him anymore, the team focused as the countdown for round two started and they were soon engaged in the game again.

This time, Hughes signaled for Jones and Diana to go up each side of the area while Peter was to go up the middle. Neal was waived away while Hughes opted to stand guard and ensure the safety of the base. Mixing up their approach ensured that the other team wouldn't know what they were doing and it would give their team a different way to infiltrate the other side to reach the base.

Feeling a bit tired from the adrenaline, Hughes figured remaining in a smaller space and only guarding three directions would give him a slight break.

Noticing the hint of a sensor through a gap in one of the obstacles, he prepared to fire as soon as the opponent showed themselves, but instinct caused him to look in the other direction just in time to duck back and avoid being shot. He had at least two endeavoring to gang up on him.

Keeping watch through the gaps, he noticed that both agents were hit one after the other before they could reach him or their team base. Someone else was around backing him up.

Looking, Hughes didn't spot Caffrey anywhere in the surrounding obstacles and a glance up across the second level didn't show the light of sensors. Wherever he had tucked himself away, Neal was doing very well at guerrilla warfare. Something he and the rest of the team should take advantage of in the next round.

Focusing back on his task, Hughes caught an opponent coming up the middle and chose to wait for a moment in order to gain a better shot before giving his location away by firing on them.

Taking his aim, he shot Mosholder's laser sensor as a blonde bunch of hair splayed out as she retreated behind an obstacle.

Hearing the sound of the enemy base being fired upon again, he knew his team had reached their goal, but the bursts of shots that followed and the silencing of the base alarm indicated that they were confronted by enough opponents to hinder their efforts.

Unable to go to their aid, Hughes held the base and hoped they would be able to regroup sufficiently enough to handle the attack.

The buzzer sounded again and the second round was complete.

*******

As they returned to base, Jones heard the announcement that they were the winners again while the screen showed Neal as the top shot once more. They would seriously have to question him to find out how he was achieving more points than a bunch of trained FBI agents and him being ex-military to boot.

Doing just that, Hughes was confronting Neal when he got back. "How are you racking up the points so much, Caffrey?"

Shrugging, Neal smiled. "Someone once told me the importance of having an eye in the sky. It's easier to fire on them from above and I can both guard our base and cover your backs while moving about to shoot anyone in sight."

"Keep it up," Peter approved.

Jones knew Peter was seeing the wisdom in the strategy that while they covered the larger space on the ground level Neal could easily cover their backs from above.

With their time up, they dispersed again.

This time Jones took the lead taking Peter up the side of the arena while Hughes and Diana roamed the area around their base. Changing the leadership changed the approach and strategy so Rice and her agents wouldn't be able to guess or predict their actions based on how Peter or Hughes thought as this time the junior agents were making the calls.

Waving his fingers, Jones signaled Peter to flank him along the wall as they slipped up the edge trying to avoid detection.

Hearing a sensor shut off behind them, they both turned to see Matar moving to get out of the line of sight of whoever had shot him. Looking up, they just barely saw Neal's position based on knowing what angle to start out from and that he was dressed in black and watching from above.

Looking at each other, Jones saw that Peter agreed with him in that they had underestimated Neal.

Shrugging and trusting Neal to continue to watch their backs, Jones signaled for them to move, but shifted across the center heading for the opposing wall to avoid being found on the same path they'd been pursuing before.

Reaching the red base, Peter opened fire while Jones covered his back trying to prevent anyone from getting the drop on him.

Rice ducked out to fire at Jones, and while he was endeavoring to fire back, Mcree moved to shoot Jones and then Peter taking them both out.

Retreating back, Jones was impressed by Rice's ploy, but he knew Peter didn't appreciate his people sacrificing themselves as it could mean death in the field. Still, in the gaming atmosphere, it wasn't a bad move.

Pausing for a moment, Jones came up with a counter plan and soon signaled Peter to follow him around to where they'd come up behind Rice and Mcree. Catching them off guard, they opened fire hitting their signals and forcing them to retreat to new hiding places.

Engaging back and forth, they were too occupied with their exchange of shots to bother going after the base again.

With the buzzer signaling the end of round three, the teams retreated back to their respective bases again.

*******

Listening to the conversations as the red team left and her fellow teammates returned, Diana realized that Neal's strategy was a huge boost to their team's game. Even when they struggled on the ground level, Neal's sniping continuously put them in the lead. They needed to act on that.

Coming up with a new strategy, she took charge for the last round and the others followed her lead.

"Neal, take Hughes up into the upper level with you this time. If one guards each side, we might be able to do more damage than having you bounce around covering the entire level alone. I'll, protect the base working with one of you from above. Jones, you and Peter are going to head for their base again trying to keep them occupied down here." She directed them on how they were going to approach the final round. So far they'd won every time and were leading, but each round the Missing Person's team got closer to them and were harder to defeat.

Finally, the last round began so they divided up to their tactics.

Remaining by the base, Diana watched as everyone else moved away disappearing into the hazy atmosphere of darkness and neon lights. While she watched looking for the sensors, which was the primary indicator of an approaching opponent, she caught the glimpse of one moving above her.

Recognizing the white tee-shirt of Hughes' she knew the boss was her back up while Neal was taking the other side where he could shoot down through the central opening, guard the approach, and support Peter and Jones on the offensive.

Seeing Hughes taking aim, she focused on the direction he was looking at in preparation for a ground assault headed her way.

Catching a glimpse as a big bulk wearing a dark green shirt dodged between obstacles, she knew Ramnarase was making his approach from one direction, but that likely meant that there was someone trying to sneak up behind her.

Spinning around, Diana hit the person sneaking up behind her before the shock of red hair could retreat behind the obstacle. So, Ramnarase was acting as the distraction while Rice was making the real attack.

Moving to circle around, Diana came up behind where Rice was looking to shoot at her and shot the agent's sensors again just after they turned back on.

Ducking away, Diana found a new position and popped up behind again surprising Rice as she was looking for a new angle of approach.

Forced to retreat, Rice moved further away from their base and appeared to be giving up for the moment.

Hearing the sounds of combat as Hughes exchanged fire with Ramnarase, Diana moved to begin working on the target as well.

Retreating back to the rear wall, she followed the open path on the opposite side of where Hughes was firing at with the intention of coming up behind her opponent.

Checking each row carefully, she spotted Ramnarase by his sensors showing through a gap in the obstacles. The gaps allowed for protective firing, but they also allowed more ways to see an opponent endeavoring to hide

Bracing her hand, Diana took aim, fired, and missed. Puzzled, she wasn't one to miss her targets, but the sound of her laser firing had alerted Ramnarase to her presence so he turned and started firing at her which left him more open to Hughes' shots and one got through the gap hitting the sensors taking Ramnarase out for a few seconds.

Backing up, Ramnarase retreated to regroup as his location was under attack and he was alone.

With the space to herself, Diana was able to prowl around the areas surrounding their base but she also glanced up towards her counterparts frequently to see if there was anything they were seeing that she was missing.

Looking up again, instead of seeing Hughes taking a shot at someone endeavoring to sneak up on her, she noticed a shock of red hair attempting to sneak up on him. Before she could take action though, Rice's sensors went black and the signal sounded that she'd been hit. Neal had taken her out.

Diana smirked while Hughes shifted position to better defend himself in case Rice wanted to continue to pursue her approach when her sensors and laser reactivated.

Seeing where Ramnarase went as she scanned across the rest of the upper level, she noticed him trying to sneak up and approach Hughes from the opposite side of where Rice was approaching. Should they gain the high ground, they'd take over the advantage White Collar had gained by having Neal be their eye in the sky supported by Hughes.

Unable to get him for the distance and obstacles, Diana was torn between holding her post and aiding her teammates.

Fortunately, Neal had this one covered too as she saw a black shadow take up stance to the other side of Hughes and begin firing on Ramnarase until he hit his sensors and took him out of play for a few seconds.

Between Rice and Ramnarase, they were trying to pin Neal and Hughes together, but the two were banding together to take on their own opponent while covering each other's backs to ensure that neither one was left defenseless.

Going offensive, the black shadow of Neal moved forwards shooting Ramnarase's sensors every time they reactivated until he was forced to retreat from the ramp and give up his approach to the upper levels.

Then, turning around to go to Hughes' aid, the shadow drifted through the obstacles silently before he reached an area to attack Rice from the opposing side as where she was attacking Hughes forcing her to divide her attention and ultimately retreat.

Hearing the alarms going off for the red base, Diana knew that Peter and Jones had achieved their goal again, but wasn't surprised when they were set upon by nearly the entire Missing Persons team causing the noise to change from the base alarm to lasers firing rapidly in intense combat.

Taking heavy fire, it wasn't long before she found Peter and Jones ducking through the obstacles and retreating back towards her for support from her and their teammates above to defend against the offensive onslaught from Missing Persons.

Finding a position behind an obstacle with holes for firing, Diana fired at the blonde she could see in order to ensure that she supported her team and protected their base.

They exchanged fire and Missing Persons managed to get close enough that someone got to the blue base and managed to rack up some points.

Regrouping, Diana pulled back and encountered Peter so the two moved together to approach their base and defend against whoever had gotten into their territory.

Waving Jones into their group as they moved, they heard the shooting go silent against their base but figured it was either their opponent stretching their fingers or shifting position due to fire from Hughes and Neal above.

Reaching their base, Peter peeked around first and then leaned back with a hint of a smile to his puzzled expression. Mimicking a hat with his hand Dianna knew he meant Neal was the one doing something about the attack on their base, but he waved them forwards if they wanted to see.

Stepping around, Diana noticed that Neal was leaned against a dark area of the course while contorting his body so that he couldn't be seen through the gaps in the obstacle behind him. Then after enough time had passed for the opponent nearest to him to have their sensors reactivate, Neal popped out and hit them trying to find him before disappearing behind another obstacle and ensuring he couldn't be hit.

Ducking back behind the base when she was spotted, Diana was impressed at how well Neal was managing the game. They hadn't expected him to know how to use guns or the strategies of such interactions as gunfights. Maybe he'd been forced to learn strategies while evading them over the years while having practiced with children's games growing up? But that wasn't sufficient to explain the sheer skill he'd exhibited. Based on Peter's expression, Neal would be talking before they went into the game with Organized Crime.

As the buzzer called the end of the game, the lights grew brighter and the sensors of their guns shut off so everyone walked back towards the entrance and into the intermediary room. Taking off their vests, everyone returned the gear to the racks before they stepped out another door into the lobby.

*******

Breathing deeper and fanning themselves, the groups reacted to the heat from the gear and activities, but it wasn't entirely new to them due to their work involving heavier gear and real life and death interactions.

Turning around in the lobby, everyone stood around where they were able to watch the final scores scroll through on a television. White Collar had won each round, but in that final round, they only beat Missing Persons by a few points making it their closest match yet.

Groans and questions flit through Missing Persons when Neal was ranked as the ultimate scorer each round with a large gap between his ultimate score and Peter's who ranked as the next best shot in the group.

Blowing on the end of his fingers before pretending to put smoking guns into holsters, Neal smirked at them but refused to share his secret.

"Are you sure he didn't hack the game somehow?" Rice grumbled as she stood next to Peter observing their team results.

"Neal's never been known to hack." Peter defended his consultant even as he questioned the possibility himself.

"I didn't hack anything." Neal defended himself from behind them where he was almost ignoring the scores and reactions. "Everyone knows I'm White Collar and non-violent, but no one knows what I've learned over the years that I choose not to utilize."

"We know something of those skills now," Hughes added to the conversation indicating it was a lesson learned for them too.

Giving up, Missing Persons couldn't prove any immoral behavior so they conceded to their loss and headed to the parking lot to go home.

Catching Neal with a hand on the back of his neck, Peter stopped Neal from walking past him towards the lot. "You're not getting out of an explanation that easily." Keeping his hold, Peter hauled Neal towards the parking lot where they could get away from the crowd and noise of the internal area of the facilities.

Reaching the area next to Peter's car, they had relative privacy and were able to hear themselves think.

"Now, talk," Peter ordered as he released Neal to stand in the middle of their group.

Rubbing his neck to provide time to collect his thoughts, Neal seemed wary to share too many details. "First, her information isn't mine to share so I won't tell you about the person who taught me."

Frowning, no one was pleased with his opening, but they let their expressions speak for them.

"I'm serious." Neal dropped his hand to hang loosely by his side. He wasn't intimidated by four FBI agents staring him down. "She was a cop, she taught me a lot towards how to be the police officer I once aspired to be, and she helped me learn how to defend myself from those who potentially wished me harm. Others taught me how to refine those skills but I started learning evasive maneuvers when I was a toddler."

Hughes wanted to know, "who taught you how to refine those skills?"

"Not the criminals I've met along the way. Obviously, you aren't the first law enforcement and government people to be involved in my life." Neal shifted position but remained loosely open showing honesty.

""Why were you being taught defensive maneuvers at such a young age?" Peter felt responsible for his consultant so he focused on the reference to danger.

Pausing, Neal considered his words again. "There was a reason to fear for my life, and being protective, she wanted me to be able to get away should the need arise."

While the bosses reflected on the uncomfortable information Neal had revealed, Diana questioned him again on his name choice. "You said Nemesis was a nickname from another life?"

"In school, I had a friend who had another friend he'd known longer. That other friend has never liked me and considered me a negative presence for our mutual friend so he dubbed me nemesis." Neal shrugged. "It was before everything changed, yet again, so I consider it another life."

"How many lives have you lived?" Jones wondered.

Smirking, Neal didn't seem inclined to answer that. "That depends on your perspective, but most would say that I'm still working on one."

"Neal." Peter got the tone which indicated that he wanted a serious answer.

Sighing, Neal turned his focus onto Peter. "Those law enforcement and government people I mentioned, they know who you are and will let you know if there is anything you need to know. Otherwise, I've told you enough about why I know how to handle laser guns and fight scenarios." His stance and body language shifted to indicate that he was done talking to them on the subject.

Noticing that the situation was turning awkward, Diana cleared her throat. "I know we aren't supposed to practice, but we are here. Is anyone up for virtual racing or one of the other options they've got?"

Although there were some grumbles from Hughes and Peter, they understood that they weren't getting any more out of Neal at present so they agreed to some virtual racing and other games for some team bonding while they were at the facility anyway.

Returning inside, Peter challenged Neal to a race which was accepted.

Taking seats side by side, the two put on the gear and initiated a race against each other.

Picking a tough course, Peter was curious. "Are there any other secret skills that we don't know about?"

"Yes, there are always secrets about me that I don't tell anyone. It's how I've survived this long." Neal confirmed as the game started into another countdown.

Distracted, Peter got a slightly late start before gunning into action and speeding to try and catch up.

Watching from behind, the others observed how both Neal and Peter showed exceptional driving skills. Peter might be rough when driving in general city traffic, but he was in his element when it came to evasive driving. Despite the tight curves and random obstacles, he managed to quickly gain his lost time and moved up to racing neck and neck with Neal.

"Are you trained in evasive driving too?" Peter asked as Neal slipped through a tight gap to take the lead again.

"Knowing how to be a getaway driver makes for a more valuable thief." Neal cryptically answered just before he had to roughly swerve to avoid hitting a random cow walking across the street.

Using Neal's slow down to avoid a collision, Peter put a burst of speed on to take the lead crossing the finish line just ahead of Neal.

"Good to know." Peter started taking the gear off so that those lined up and waiting could take a turn at the races.

"This is annoying you, isn't it?" Neal was also removing his gear as a party of kids were to the side of them arguing about who would race who first.

"I'm not surprised that you have secrets. It didn't take us three years to catch you because you were open and easy to figure out. However, I don't like some of the things you hinted at in the parking lot." Peter stated as they moved to catch up where the others had drifted over to the arcade area.

Getting challenged to a round of air hockey, Peter lined up to play Jones while Neal challenged Hughes to shoot basketballs into hoops.

Although he estimated a close game between Peter and Jones, Neal wasn't sure how he'd stand up to Hughes. The older agent didn't blend with the general team too often as he was usually handling management duties instead of the grunt or fieldwork.

"Ready, sir?" Neal asked as he picked up a ball and got ready to shoot.

"I played basketball in high school. We won state." Hughes stated before asking Neal about himself.

"No such experience here. I've played games for fun with friends or in the gym, but not competitively." Neal knew he needed to keep his head in the game. Hughes had an advantage of training and experience, but Neal had the energy of youth in his favor.

Shooting hoops as quickly and yet accurately as possible, Neal noticed that Hughes was keeping pace with him, but never missed a hoop while Neal missed a few. When the buzzer timed, Neal conceded his loss to the superior agent and chuckled at his expression as a bunch of tickets rolled out.

"Is there a toy that caught your eye?" Neal teased as they were out of the office and generally doing team bonding activities so he felt comfortable enough to mess with Hughes a little.

"Yeah, there's a toy set of handcuffs. I thought we could let you wear them." Hughes shot right back with a tease even as he was looking for a kid to give his tickets to.

"Touché," Neal knew there weren't any cuffs, but he'd opened his mouth to tease which invited teasing in return.

Passing the pile to a little girl who seemed to be being entertained while older family members were otherwise occupied, Hughes figured it would give the kid a smile.

Checking on the status of the game between Peter and Jones, Neal noticed that Jones was in the lead by two points. "You did well in geometry?" Neal noted his use of angles to ricochet into the goal slot again and win the game.

"Aced it! Although I can do the algebra stuff, Geometry is more my strong suit." Jones smiled pleased to beat the boss.

"I'm better at that algebra and accounting stuff. Take the picture out and give me numbers." Peter commented from his side as he straightened up from his vain efforts to protect his goal.

Grabbing his arm, Diana demanded a rematch against Neal as she drug him to a hunting game. "You said you were taught young, well Charlie taught me a lot before he died. Let's see who learned more over the years."

"You got it," Neal smirked as he started his game in time with her.

Moving to watch, the others were curious to see Neal use his skills where they could observe him. When a target moved into sight, Neal tracked slightly ahead of them before shifting to hit the target straight on. If the target made a sudden move, then he shifted more rapidly and took his shot. Diana had a different approach, but when the game ended, they both had top scores showing that they were both equally capable of meeting the challenge.

Congratulating them on their achievements, Peter suggested the group grab some food before heading home.

Agreeing to some snacks, the group made their purchases before setting up at another table to talk about their morning and nibble on food. They took turns bantering back and forth strategies and observations to determine how they won and how they could do better the following week. Organized crime would obviously ask Missing Persons to increase their odds of winning, but, if White Collar mixed it up enough, it wouldn't do Organized Crimes any good.

"Why are you wearing black?" Jones opened the conversation by asking Neal for advice towards their next round.

"It's easier to hide in some of the shadows and the black lights don't have anything to pick up on. When I studied the map, I looked for angles that would be best for shooting, but also places that would be good for hiding if I needed to evade someone." Neal built on revealing more of his strategies to the team.

Snapping her fingers, Diana realized another strength they might have had over their opponents. "Missing Persons came straight in to check in. They didn't look at the map, did they?"

Shaking his head, Neal disagreed with her theory. "They came from behind me, so although I don't think they studied it for as long as some of us did, they did at least glance over it."

"What was that thing you were doing with your laser at the beginning when Diana was asking you about your code name?" Peter asked a question that struck him now he was thinking about it.

"Testing my sight to know how I needed to compensate. They're toys so they aren't seriously put together like a real gun is. I had to adjust my shots the entire game to ensure better accuracy. While you were missing, I wasn't which also helped me improve my scores." Neal pointed out another error that no one else had taken into account.

Analyzing the game, Jones pointed out that both teams used good strategies which made them compete, but Neal's strategies put them over the top. "Next week we need to wear darker colors for better concealment, test our sites for accuracy and to know what compensation we need to take, and Diana and I need to study the map a bit better."

"I also think Neal should lead at least one round. He's earned it. Let's see how he does against Organized Crimes." Hughes pitched in a vote for Neal to pit his winning strategies against their opponents at least once. Being the top shooter and ultimate winner this week had to count for something of his strategizing skills.

Agreeing, the others told him to come up with a strategy as he'd be leading at least once.

Shrugging, Neal wasn't intimated by the challenge. "It's not as hard as you might think. I've already got a plan. You wouldn't allow in the field, but this is a game so we'll go with it." His hint had them estimating what his plans might be, but they didn't know how he'd go about it in particular.

Finishing their snacks, they all had other things to do with the rest of their day so they split up with the agents going to their vehicles and Peter offering to drive Neal home on his way.

"You aren't going to interrogate me are you?" Neal asked before accepting the ride.

"Not this time," Peter promised but left himself the opportunity to question his consultant another day once he'd had time for more observations.

Smirking, Neal knew Peter would be watching for information. He always had been curious about Neal's mysterious past and this only increased his leverage to make intuitive leaps.

Leaving, they knew they'd be back the next week, but life needed to return to a semblance of normal in the meanwhile as life and work took their attention.


	2. Organized Crimes

*******

The week past in a blur and soon the team was back at the facility regrouping for their second match against Organized Crimes.

Hughes, Peter, and Neal were holding a table while Jones and Diana were over studying the map to see if they could find the places Neal had hid the week before. By challenging themselves, they were endeavoring to have more secure hiding places than Organized Crimes giving them an advantage.

While they waited, the others sipped on their drinks and talked to pass the time.

Coming up behind them, Ruiz slapped a folder down in front of Peter and Hughes. "I think we found some of how your team defeated Rice's team. Why didn't you tell us you had a deep history with the CIA, Peter?"

"Ruiz?" Hughes questioned the approach. It was a risky maneuver, especially for a simple game of laser tag.

Neal physically froze with his eyes moving back and forth between Peter as he looked at the folder and the dark-haired Ruiz who stood behind him in slacks and FBI polo.

"Yes, I started with the FBI, and yes I was pulled into CIA work where I was given an unofficial agent rank and even led missions under a field name. No, I don't work for the CIA anymore as the last mess I got put in wasn't going to be acknowledged if things went wrong, and then a traitor decided to threaten me if I didn't take action and the bosses directed me to play along. My performance was sufficient enough to get me nearly killed. Washington knows all of this. You don't need to know anything else, Ruiz." Peter growled as he slapped the folder closed again.

"I know too so don't try to make trouble, Ruiz. It was my contacts in the NSA that helped him to get out." Hughes used his stern boss voice while looking disapprovingly at the younger agent.

Passing the folder back, Peter put it into Ruiz's hand roughly. "Put it in your car. You don't want to leave stuff like that out in the open, especially not in a public place like this."

Following the instructions, Ruiz headed back out to the parking lot to lock the folder in his car.

"He's just trying to create internal struggles in the team to weaken our game. It's a low blow, but your records are known by the FBI, CIA, and NSA so there is no threat to your career." Hughes tried to reassure Peter.

Angrily, Peter stared at the table until he remembered that Neal was still sitting across the table from him. Jerking his head up, he quickly observed his consultant. "Neal?"

"What were you saying about an operation where it wouldn't be acknowledged if things went wrong and a performance that nearly killed you?" His voice was flat and distant. Clearly, the plan to create distrust had worked where he was concerned.

"I can't tell you." Peter shifted to sitting straighter. He was on guard as operations from his past were in danger of exposure.

Shifting straighter and away, Neal physically showed himself distancing from his friend. "Those government people in my past include the CIA and NSA. I already know something about it, Kieran. What I don't know is why you acted the way you did."

That made Hughes sit up straighter in attention as well and turn towards Neal. It looked like he wanted to pursue the topic, but Jones and Diana made an untimely return causing a change in conversation.

"Ruiz is here and his agents are collecting over by the check-in getting their IDs set up. It's time for us to get checked in, but at least we don't have to do the whole process again." Diana held up her ID from the previous week to prove her point.

"Is everything alright," Jones had quietly observed the tension around the table and wondered what had transpired.

Neal got up from the table seriously, "Ruiz was already here." Then he headed for the check-in.

Before questions could be stated, Hughes waved Jones and Diana on ahead. "We'll take care of it. Go and get your IDs checked in."

Then remaining behind with Peter, he asked. "Who do you think Neal is? Obviously, he knows more about government than we thought."

Watching his consultant from a distance, Peter had an idea. "I think he could be Bryce Larkin. The kid was supposedly killed, but that was while Neal was in prison, or allegedly in prison. If I'm right, he has a lot of information access in the agencies and a lot of history with Carmichael and Walker so he'd be interested in my performance as a threat to them, especially since there was also the illusion that I was going after a child and the civilian mother who raised her."

Getting a message on his phone, Peter checked his text to find one from the general. "Yep, he's looking for information on me. The general just alerted me." Peter messaged back that Ruiz had blown his secret in front of Neal to cause division, over a laser tag game no less.

Looking up at the concentrated expression he could see on Neal's face as he was absorbed in his phone, Peter then looked down to send a follow-up message. "Is he Larkin?"

With a call coming through from the general, he nodded to Hughes that he was going to take it outside.

Accepting the situation, Hughes nodded back before heading for the check-in to join the rest of his team.

Signing in and then taking his ID, Hughes went to the computer on the end close to where Neal was tinkering with his phone. Pretending to take his time with the computer, Hughes let the other team make assumptions based on his age while creating an opening to talk to Neal.

"Are you Larkin?" He asked what he could only assume was a younger agent from the CIA.

"As surely as Peter is Ryker," Neal commented with a cold and distant tone.

"It's a field name? Peter really is who he says he is, only with a few additional details not everyone is aware of." Hughes threw a fact in about his favorite agent to try and ease some of the conflict Ruiz had managed to create.

"Not entirely. Larkin isn't a field name, but it isn't my real name either." Neal wasn't giving much, but it was more than Hughes had expected.

Then Neal also got a call so he left to find a secluded space where he could hear the conversation while not being eavesdropped on by any random passerby.

Left to buy time with the rest of the agents, Hughes knew this game was going to be a struggle. Ruiz had accomplished his goal with Peter and Neal more surely than he would have if it had been Jones or Diana who'd been present for the reveal. Glaring at the man, Hughes didn't mind letting the man know his displeasure. If Peter and Neal could pull it together, it would give them a greater advantage for the game. However, Hughes' biggest concern was that the two figured out how to handle the revelation that had been forced on them. They were one of the best partnerships he'd ever seen and he sensed that they'd both endured hard times in the CIA so they each needed the friendship that the other offered.

Catching up to him, Jones and Diana looked like they were still questioning the situation, but only pointed out their opponents and introduced them to ensure he knew who they were up against.

Diana indicated which agent was which based on their hair and clothing. "Zane Cummer has black hair and a dark blue shirt. You'll notice that he's styled his hair similar to Neal for an added attempt at confusion. Evelyn Martinez has the braid of black hair and a bright yellow shirt, Erin Loux has the flaxen hair and gray shirt, while Caleb Rosenberger is the brown haired one wearing army camo."

Having met a few of them before, Hughes knew they were all skilled agents based on reputation. Ruiz clearly wasn't pulling out any stops if he could help it.

Whiling away the last few minutes of their time, the groups made general conversation until it was their turn in the arena.

*******

Listening to the phone call, Peter heard a general rundown of information. He wasn't being cleared to know it all, but he was learning a few basic details about his consultant to help them work together. In short, his name was Bryce Larkin, he was an Agent in Charge of some project and an Intelligence Officer, his reputation was stellar in his own field, and he was on assignment only pretending to be a con artist. That was it, but it was enough for Peter to know he could generally trust Neal if Neal would trust him enough to behave.

Thanking the general, he left dealing with Ruiz to higher powers and focused more on coming up with a way to make peace with his consultant.

In the past, Neal had briefly wondered about him being the person responsible for Kate's difficulties, but now he had proof that Peter had been responsible for causing trouble with his old friends. How unforgivable was this going to be?

Encountering his consultant in a back hallway as he tried to prepare for rejoining the teams, Peter paused. "I take it she told you about me?"

Nodding, Neal seemed wary, "Probably as much as she told you about me."

Stepping forward, Peter took the initiative. As much as he'd always distrusted Neal for his secrets, the kid was probably taking the bigger surprise as he'd always been fairly open about himself and his history in the FBI so the CIA history was probably broadsiding Neal from left field. Putting forth his hand, he started answering Neal's earlier questions. "I should introduce myself all the same. You know I'm agent Peter Burke of the FBI, but I also have a history of doing assignments with the CIA per a Washington task force project. For one operation I was assigned to be handler to a CIA agent on an international job where I was directed to protect an infant and she ran away with the kid. It worked out because she gave the girl to her mother to raise giving her a safe life so it was left alone for approximately five years. Then, someone, we both know escaped from prison and threatened me if I didn't use his proffered information to go after the girl again. Like most, he assumed that I was rogue and after the heiress's fortune. Per the instruction of the bosses, I played along and pursued. Your former partner made the stupid move of leaving her team out of it, but she was good enough to put a stake through my chest." Peter shivered as he remembered the near-death experience that had followed. "This was while you were doing one of those stints in prison and the paperwork kept getting drug out waiting for me to be back in the field. Hughes helped me to get out of the task force and I'm back to being just Peter Burke of the FBI, exactly who I say I am."

Meeting him cautiously, Neal took the proffered hand, but he wasn't friendly and easy going like he normally was. Their friendship had definitely taken a hit. "I'm Neal Caffrey here, and in the CIA I'm Agent in Charge Officer Bryce Larkin, although that's only my legal name and official rank. My work is above top secret and classified need to know and I'm on loan for a special assignment here. You know I'm associated with the agent from your case as my former partner and ex-girlfriend while also having a history with her entire team in some fashion or another. The last time I was killed in the field I was shot through the back after a traitor in my protection team led the enemy straight to us. I don't trust easy and right now I'm adjusting to your reveal. However, I can still work with the guy who killed me the first time in the field with real guns so what's a game of laser tag with you?"

Sighing, Peter shook Neal's hand in one quick motion before Neal was pulling away and creating professional distance again. The kid was tolerating him which was a start, but he wasn't trusting him. Then again, he was surprised at how easily he was trusting Neal.

Peter's past with the CIA was often being told that if anything went wrong he wouldn't be acknowledged, and then a whole lot of trouble as the shadow wars with the Ring turned into a full-blown civil war. He'd been through some betrayals and rough situations, but he always had his experience with the FBI to return to. Hughes was honest and fair, he tried to do the right thing, and he provided an element of protection for Peter to do the same.

Watching Neal as they walked towards the arena where the teams were waiting, Peter guessed that Neal hadn't had it so easy. The kid probably went through a lot of betrayals while being thrown into the depths of that civil war. Peter had heard legends and rumors. Larkin had pretended to be a traitor to infiltrate the Ring which got him killed, and then working to combat the Ring without the additional role of traitor got him killed again.

Reaching the team as they went into the initial room for the rules again, Peter ignored the video as he'd seen it just last week. Instead, he observed Neal standing to the side of the group with his back to the wall as he watched the video from the sidelines.

Tapping Hughes on the shoulder, Peter pointed to Neal when he looked indicating that Neal was deeply affected by the reveal. Even in the darkness, he could see his boss's frown.

When the video ended, most of the agents moved forwards into the next room for their gear.

Peter patted Neal on the shoulder just before they walked through the doorway and then he held Neal back slightly by the door to avoid the movement of the others getting their vests. Speaking softly, he promised, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Glancing back at him, Neal didn't seem to accept or deny the promise but was instead gauging his body language before he too moved to get his vest and join the agents preparing for the game.

Following along, Peter was glad they were blue vests again as it made it easy for him to don his vest, enter the arena, and walk to the base weaving through the obstacles as he knew where he was going.

Catching up, he found the team waiting for the starting buzzer. Everyone was testing their sites as Neal stated his plan.

"Like I said last week, they've probably talked to Missing Persons and they're going to know I was the top scorer. Now they're going to focus on targeting me so I suggest we use it. I'll go up front and center as bait while those of you who follow can pick them off as they shoot at me." Neal was putting himself out front and center with relaxed ease.

"No." Peter didn't have to elaborate as everyone knew he wouldn't approve of Neal putting himself out as bait. He didn't approve of anyone being made bait like that.

"It's not like it's the real field. The worst they can do is score more off of shooting me than you all score off of shooting them in the process." Neal's expression indicated the challenge that he was right and they couldn't argue.

"I still don't like it." Peter frowned at him while raising an eyebrow. With the secrets revealed, they both knew that Neal had thrown himself out there in the real field too, and died for it.

With the buzzer ringing, they didn't have time to come up with another plan.

Neal threw a final glance at Peter and dove into the obstacles plunging into the game.

Following, Peter wasn't going to let Neal do this to himself, not even in a game of laser tag.

For the first time since he'd gotten out of the CIA taskforce work, Peter allowed skills he'd learned there to surface. He didn't like it, but he could be something of a hunter too. Moving to get ahead of where Neal was, he put himself in a position where he could see those moving to fire on Neal, but they couldn't see him immediately. Then he started firing on anyone in a red sensor vest who showed themselves.

Based on the white hair he caught a glimpse of, Peter knew Hughes had taken the other side of the approach and was endeavoring to cover Neal from his angle.

Working across the arena, they kept moving while making themselves hard for Organized Crimes to hit.

When they reached the red base, Neal moved into position and began firing to rack up points. Even when he took a hit, he remained as the target firing on the base to rack up points at every opportunity.

Hughes moved to a position where he could prevent anyone from sneaking up on Neal while Peter prowled around the two providing mobile protection and Jones sniped from above.

It wasn't a conventional approach, but it puzzled Organized Crime so they were unsure how to counter the attack. They sent a few to try and score on the blue base, but they were mostly focused on trying to defend their own base which proved dangerous against their opponents.

Soon enough, the buzzer sounded calling the end of round one.

While moving to return to their base, Peter caught Neal and pulled him behind an obstacle to the side of the room where they could talk for a moment.

"Don't you dare do anything like that under my watch again! I know you're used to throwing yourself out there, but I don't approve of it at all. You will take precautions and endeavor to get through operations alive and well. Otherwise, I will be the one you need to worry about. Even if I have to chain you to a desk because I can't throw you back in jail, I will do my best to ensure you are safe! Am I clear?" Peter growled at Neal with aggressive force. He was still wound up and wasn't anywhere close to relaxing.

Neal showed a rather surprised reaction as if he hadn't expected Peter to react so strongly. "We need to get back to base." Then he led the way.

*******

Watching from above, Jones had caught the aggressive nature to the last round and knew that Ruiz was the cause for the upset of Hughes, Peter, and Neal.

Thinking as he made his way back to the team base, he came up with a way to handle the next round.

"I think Peter should take the eye in the sky, Neal guards our base, and the rest of us go for the red base." He stated his plan only to quickly find himself backed up.

Hughes explained, "They're targeting Neal for his scores last week and Peter made himself a target by actually beating him out for points this last round. We won, but only because Organized Crimes weren't sure how to handle that approach."

With the buzzer announcing the second round, the team split up to follow the plan.

Jones led the way with Diana flanking him on one side and Hughes on the other, but Peter winged off Hughes picking up the edge of their advance until he broke off at the ramp to climb up to the upper level.

Weaving through the obstacles, Jones kept his laser up and ready to fire much as he did in the field with a real gun so that he could fire at any target that presented themselves.

Exchanging fire with Cummer and Rosenberger, Jones found himself well matched against his opponents. Diana came up behind him and two worked together to pick shots at their opponents so that none of them moved beyond the reach of the other team.

Hearing the sound of the red base being attacked, Jones surmised that Hughes had moved on to reach the base while Peter covered for him. He wasn't successful for long, but he didn't retreat so he was managing to hold his ground even if he couldn't also manage the additional attack on the base beyond the occasional shot.

A brief sound of the blue base being hit meant Neal was occupied, but he managed to hold them off as well as only a few alarms went off from time to time before he'd block the attack.

It was a hard round with no one achieving too much before the sound system called the end of round two and declared them tied.

*******

Knowing they needed to work through their issues, Neal still wasn't thrilled when Hughes directed for him and Peter to infiltrate the red side while Jones and Diana sniped from above and Hughes guarded the base.

It was a good plan. Peter and Neal were the primary targets while also being the most aggressive players to counter Organized Crimes, but they were also struggling a bit with the reveal that had occurred just before the game.

Sighing, Neal knew he might as well prepare for the round as the countdown was about to end which meant he was going to plunge into the game with Peter whether he was ready to or not.

When it was time, Neal shifted out into the obstacles mirroring Peter and trusting the other agent to cover his six. Seeing the sleeve of a bright yellow shirt, Neal waited for Martinez to show herself before he shot her sensors. Then he dodged Loux's attempt at shooting him before spinning around the obstacle at his back to shoot her from the other side. Hitting Martinez again as she dodged to a different obstacle for a new angle, he kept hitting them before they could sight in on him.

Hearing heavier fire nearby, Neal slipped to another obstacle to investigate. Getting closer, he found Peter pinned down by Cummer as the agent used his similar appearance to himself to throw Peter.

It wasn't fair to take advantage of Peter that way. Everyone knew he was protective of his team, particularly Neal.

Feeling abashed, Neal realized that Peter was genuinely friends with him and he was struggling with the reveal and his reaction. His aggressive insistence that Neal take care of himself wasn't a show, it was too emotional and real for that.

Shooting Cummer himself, Neal took care of the threat while he moved to cover Peter's back before joining him behind the same obstacle.

Nodding at Peter, Neal showed that he was more accepting of their circumstances to which Peter nodded back with a hint of relief.

Suddenly smirking, Neal asked Peter just loud enough for the agent to hear. "How about we show them some black ops?"

Widening his eyes, Peter wasn't expecting Neal to be so revealing with his abilities. Then after a moment, he nodded before beginning to smile as well.

Shifting to stand back to back, Peter and Neal then blew out from their obstacle to the one across the walkway. By moving in such a fashion, they each trusted the other to guide their steps and cover their back from the encroaching enemy. Neal took on Martinez and Loux who had followed him across the arena while Peter fired on Cummer and Rosenberger.

Making each transition together, Peter and Neal were able to hit their targets each time as they moved from one obstacle to another. Then, if there was someone who was beyond their reach or trying to sneak up on them, then Jones and Diana were moving about above sniping at them.

Turning their direction towards the red base, they were able to reach the target and spin around each taking a shot before moving to shoot any opponent sneaking up on them while Jones supported them from above.

By the point where the timer ended the third round, they had again gained enough points to take the lead back.

*******

When everyone returned to base, Diana was glad to see that they were all back to a semblance of normalcy. Whatever Ruiz had done hadn't caused permanent damage.

"How about we surprise them again? It's risky, but we could fan out three below and two above to pin them on the other side of the arena. They wouldn't expect that as we've always kept someone back to guard the base." Diana threw out the suggestion to see if they could gain another advantage.

Shrugging, Neal didn't seem to disagree as he smiled at Peter and Hughes in a knowing fashion. It reinforced that something had changed between them, but it helped propagate her plan so Diana wasn't complaining.

Jones didn't disagree so they opted to roll with it.

Taking an eye in the sky roll, Diana wanted to watch how this played out and ensure they kept Organized Crimes away from their blue base.

With the final round initiated, the team fanned out across the arena and began their march across.

Jones and Diana brought up the edges and then folded in when they encountered Ruiz, Rosenberger, and Cummer trying to penetrate their line. Firing from the front and sides, White Collar forced Organized Crimes to retreat back.

Breaking off, Diana mirrored Jones as she cautiously climbed the ramp trying to ensure no one had reached the top level ahead of them.

Ducking as she reached the top of the ramp and turned into the upper area, she was barely missed as Martinez tried to take her out of play for a few moments.

Dodging behind a smaller barrier, Diana was able to hold her ground and return fire. Hearing the rest of them combat, she estimated that Jones was battling Loux on the other side. Organized Crime had gotten wise and was trying to beat them at their own game.

Shooting, Diana used the rapid-fire setting to keep Martinez down while she slipped from her obstacle to another closer to her target. Then repeating the move, Diana got to within one obstacle of her opponent.

Shifting position, she had to dodge a shot as someone aimed at her from below. She hadn't seen more than dark hair and a red vest before she moved to avoid being hit.

As it always went, being able to shoot down meant she could be shot from below to adding to her observation range. Still, she loved being able to help cover her team even as she looked down on an unsuspecting agent trying to sneak up on a target with too much focus.

Returning fire at another agent below, Diana saw their sensors shut off indicating a hit before she returned her focus to the battle on her level.

Martinez was too relaxed so it was easy to move into a position where Diana shot her turning off her sensors. Then she held her ground to shoot her again when they turned on.

Forced to retreat, Martinez retreated across the upper level until she encountered Loux who appeared to be having trouble with Jones.

Ganging up, Jones and Diana were able to force both Loux and Martinez down the second ramp until they encountered Peter, Neal, and Hughes who were fighting with Cummer, Ruiz, and Rosenberger below.

Descending the ramp, Jones and Diana changed the plan to approach Organized Crimes from behind.

Working together, White Collar used various strategies and techniques to push their opponents back until they reached a hold point. Then, the ten agents made minor shifts firing at each other, but they were unable to push the advance walls either way.

Finally, the game was over and the lights came on brighter indicating the conclusion to the challenge. White Collar was the ultimate winner.

*******

Filing out of the arena and removing their gear, both teams knew who had won, but the final score was posted on the screen outside so they had to wait until they exited to ultimately tally the results.

Milling about observing the screen, everyone noticed that Neal was tied with Peter as the top two shooters. It was mixed scores for the rest of the agents, but White Collar still had the ultimate lead in points for agents and as a team overall.

Having witnessed the skills which were backed by the scores, Organized Crimes couldn't argue with who had ultimately won the challenge against both teams.

Begrudgingly, Ruiz promised to have the trophy that had been purchased given to Hughes for the team as the rightful winner. It was being kept at the offices, but it would officially change hands on Monday morning.

With nothing else to discuss, the teams dispersed with most of them returning to their homes, but Neal and Peter knew they needed to talk.

*******

Utilizing the drive to June's, Peter opened the conversation. "You don't seem as upset as you were before. Are you really okay with this?"

Starting into a story, Neal had a surprising answer. "In college, I betrayed my best friend by getting him expelled for cheating. In addition, his girlfriend claimed to have betrayed him by becoming physically involved with me. He was devastated. Then last I knew, he'd learned the truth that I was saving his life from a forced draft into a suicide mission while unwittingly taking him off of his girlfriend's organization's radar forcing them to react. Based on his reaction to my last death, he had generally forgiven me." Turning to Peter, Neal continued to his point. "You played a role per the orders you were given. Some of your action was real, but the intent wasn't what it seemed. Am I happy that you got involved with that mess, no, but can I understand your position, yes. When it comes down to it, you have a Kieran Ryker side who is a force to be reckoned with, but you're Peter Burke. Burke isn't a pushover, but he's open and honest and reliable. I'm Bryce Larkin, I've been put in positions and garnered reputations as a result. But really, I'm Neal. That includes being an agent, sometimes I can be myself for all of who I actually am, and sometimes I pretend to be the bad guy. Life is complicated, but as long as you're Peter and I'm Neal, I think we'll be alright."

Genuinely relieved, Peter was surprised at how glad he was to hear that. "I can do that. Kieran, that's an alias I was assigned to keep my personal information separate just in case someone chose to trace back to my real life, it isn't the real me. Sure, I have the skills to handle more than most FBI agents, but I'm not into all of that cloak and dagger stuff. White Collar suits me just fine."

Laughing, Neal couldn't believe what had happened as Peter's statement was just so Peter, it seemed surreal that everything else was contained in their conversation.

"What?" Peter had the hint of a smile as he looked over to see what was so funny.

"This isn't even slightly surreal to you? This morning you were the cop and I was the con and there was a whole bunch of mystery about me while you were pretty open. Then Ruiz slaps that folder down changing everything. Now, we can sort of talk about our past experiences in black ops while separating ourselves as the real us and the roles we've played in the field." He was still amused as he recounted just how much had changed in just over an hour.

Joining him in laughter, Peter could see how it appeared. "That is a lot of change. But I like it. This is much better knowing the truth than the whole dodging about secrets. I know we can't talk about everything, and you still have plenty of secrets, but I definitely like this a lot better."

Their humor relaxed and both agents agreed. Knowing was better.

Arriving at Junes, Peter dropped Neal off before heading home to his wife. They were better friends and would relish their connection more, but they still had other plans with their days that they chose to continue with knowing they'd still have plenty of time to talk and enjoy that friendship other days.

*******

When Monday came around, the White Collar team continued to do their work only slightly acknowledging when Rice and Ruiz jointly brought the trophy in.

"I don't know how you always manage to do it, but you've earned this." Rice wasn't willing to say, but she knew that White Collar was always reliable to clean up whatever mess they were hauled into no matter which other departments they were taskforce with.

Grunting, Ruiz commented, "I think I have some ideas, but I can't account for it entirely." He was even less willing to acknowledge their win, but it had been earned fair and square based on the parameters originally laid out.

Retreating as soon as the trophy had been handed off, Organized Crimes and Missing Persons returned to their own offices since work needed to run as usual.

Meanwhile, behind them, White Collar only had a brief interruption.

Calling the team to order, Hughes had everyone come together so he could explain what had transpired for anyone who had missed once and for all.

"As most of you've probably heard, Organized Crimes and Missing Persons made a bet with us in our last case and challenged us to laser tag. We honored the bet and met their challenge. Being the winners, we've been given this trophy, but I don't want to hear any bragging or inappropriate behavior. We're agents." Then dismissing the team, he passed the trophy to Peter.

"You and Neal were the main reasons we won, so I'll leave the trophy to you two." Then he reentered his office and left them standing on the landing.

"As I said before, you were more concerned when I missed a trophy. I'll let you keep this one to make up for it." Neal clapped Peter on the shoulder in a friendly fashion before retreating back to his desk.

Left with the trophy, Peter decided to add it to his wall. Not for the bragging rights over Missing Persons or Organized Crimes, but for the advancement in his friendship with Neal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone, for reading, following, choosing to favorite, leaving kudos, reviewing/commenting :D
> 
> This concludes Quinis' birthday story for this year and my regular posting will resume next weekend. I hope you all enjoyed it :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone for reading :D Quinis and I have developed something of a tradition to gift each other a story on our birthdays and this is my gift to her for this year. The characters stretched this out into two longer chapters so I'll be posting the second half tomorrow night. Happy birthday Quinis, and I hope everyone enjoys! :D
> 
> Note: The place referenced is real, but it's more real world with the website describing it as something between video games and something akin to FBI and military training grounds called Black Ops Laser Tag (how cool is that with the characters!). I like this to perhaps tinker with in future stories (and fellow authors might want to use this), but for this story, I used ideas based on my own experience at multiple laser tag arenas and the attached arcades.


End file.
